ESPN-Wimbledon Contract Grants Exclusive TV Rights Through 2023

News broke this weekend that ESPN would be acquiring Wimbledon broadcasting rights, and now the deal’s official. ESPN announced Tuesday that they’ve reached an agreement to broadcast the tournament live across multiple platforms, including both the women’s and men’s finals.

As the press release explains: “ESPN has acquired the exclusive U.S. television rights to live action from The Championships, Wimbledon, including both the Ladies’ and Gentlemen’s Singles Finals, in a 12-year agreement with the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club beginning in 2012. Comprehensive coverage from start to finish across a variety of platforms will result in more tennis for fans and all of it live.”

The CEO of the All England Lawn Tennis Club, Ian Ritchie, added that, “This new agreement will bring increased live coverage of The Championships and ensure that the huge international audience for Wimbledon can now enjoy all the drama and colour of the Fortnight through a sustained narrative delivered with clarity, continuity and consistency across a wide range of platforms.”

It’s a great day for tennis fans, and if nothing else, that’s a testament to how frustrating NBC’s coverage has been in recent years. Indeed, the “clarity, continuity, and consistency” he mentions will be a breath of fresh air for tennis fans that have been suffocated by NBC’s uneven broadcast schedules.

Now, instead of having to guess whether big matches will be broadcast live or on tape delay, fans will be able to count on the ESPN family of networks to cover the madness as it happens. The added exposure should be mutually beneficial. It’s a victory for ESPN, for Wimbledon, but most of all, it’s a big win for tennis, in general.